The Relief Shelter.

The Provincial Governor couldn’t stop smiling as she listened to the County Magistrate lavishly praise the Third Princess, extolling her boundless compassion and fearless dedication in coming to the relief shelter to treat the sick.

She must report this truthfully to Minister Shen!

Just as she was thinking this, Minister Shen arrived.

The Provincial Governor smoothed her robes, stood up from her chair, and clasped her hands in greeting toward Minister Shen. “Your Excellency.”

Minister Shen asked, “How is the situation?”

The Provincial Governor replied with a smile, “Excellent, truly excellent! Let the County Magistrate explain.”

The County Magistrate hurriedly took a sip of tea and repeated what she had just told the Provincial Governor: “This matter was greatly aided by the Third Princess…”

The Provincial Governor observed Minister Shen’s expression, noticing her frown deepening, and nearly laughed aloud. Though she was not a supporter of the Third Princess, seeing the usually rigid Minister Shen, who claimed she could never misjudge a person, so discomfited was a rare sight indeed.

This Third Princess truly deserved admiration—people really could grow.

The County Magistrate was quite eloquent, elaborating on the brilliance of the prescription and even imitating the Third Princess’s profound expression and tone, praising her to the skies. Anyone unaware might think the Third Princess had bribed her.

County Magistrate: “Now, the epidemic in the city is under control. Except for those in the west wing who are critically ill and recovering slowly, most people in the east wing have almost fully recovered.”

The Imperial Physician nodded: “Indeed, the prescription found by the Third Princess is extremely rare and remarkably effective. Each herb is perfectly chosen, and the dosage is just right.”

Most importantly, the prescription did not require rare ingredients. Instead, it combined common herbs to achieve miraculous results!

The creator of this prescription must be a divine healer with an exceptional understanding of diseases! Thinking this, the Imperial Physician asked, “Your Excellency, could you arrange for me to discuss medical knowledge with the creator of this prescription? We could consult on follow-up treatments.”

Provincial Governor: “Yes, yes! This person must be a divine healer, a medical sage…”

Minister Shen’s frown remained deeply etched. There was no divine healer or medical sage—the prescription had clearly been created by the Third Princess herself.

No matter how much a person’s temperament changed, could they suddenly become proficient in pharmacology?

This matter was too peculiar, and she dared not make rash judgments. She could only report it to the Emperor upon returning to the capital.

After Minister Shen left, Ji Zhaohe paced back and forth in the main hall, her mind feeling as though a tightly drawn string were about to snap.

Minister Shen was not someone easily fooled. Once she visited the relief shelter and heard the County Magistrate’s account, Ji Zhaohe would be exposed. She could only hope that, for Tangtang’s sake, Minister Shen would refrain from reporting to the Emperor and the Crown Princess for now.

Heavens, it had come to this! Ji Zhaohe nibbled on her nails, one hand on her hip, as anxious as an ant circling in panic.

Jiang Deming did not understand the Third Princess’s complex mental state. He only knew that after Minister Shen left, Her Highness had become like this.

All he could do was pour tea and share her anxiety.

Ji Zhaohe slumped back into her chair, tilting her head to gaze at the ceiling beams. Who could come to save her?!

If all else failed, she could claim she was possessed by a deity. That was the only way…

“Jiang Deming, is there any particularly efficacious temple nearby?” She needed to bribe a Taoist priest to fabricate a story for her!

Jiang Deming thought for a moment. “There is one quite efficacious temple called Baoyin Temple. I’ve heard many people go there to pray for daughters.”

“Then make arrangements. We’ll go tomorrow.” Ji Zhaohe added, “To pray for the people’s well-being.”

She was one of the people too, so praying for herself was also praying for the people. There was nothing wrong with that, right? She was becoming increasingly adept at finding excuses to cut corners.

They said attending university was like entering society, but she had never learned these survival skills even through her Ph.D. Yet, after transmigrating into a book, she had mastered them!

Truly, adversity tempered the will.

As night fell, Fu Jiu lit candles in the room. The flickering flames cast a pale, fragile light on Shen Qingtang’s face as he leaned against the agarwood couch, staring down at the bowl of medicinal decoction in his hands, unwilling to drink it.

Fu Jiu tidied the bedding and, seeing his master in such a state, said distressedly, “The medicine will cool soon. Please drink it quickly.”

The Third Princess’s acupuncture had indeed been effective—his master had not coughed all afternoon.

Shen Qingtang’s fingers traced the rim of the bowl as he murmured, “My wife must be angry with Mother. It’s already so late, and she still hasn’t come…”

Fu Jiu was taken aback and comforted him, “Master, the attendants said the Third Princess is busy. She will return once she’s finished. Please drink the medicine first and wait patiently.”

His wife hated disobedience most. If he let the medicine cool and it lost its efficacy, she would be angry when she found out. Shen Qingtang lifted the bowl and took small sips, the bitter liquid sliding down his throat, filling his heart with bitterness as well.

He had reflected on his conversation with his mother for a long time. His words had indeed been like “spilled water—a son married off is like water thrown out,” which must have hurt his mother. Yet, he had wanted his mother to apologize to the Third Princess. Privately, compared to his mother’s scolding, he feared his wife’s anger more. He could not bear to see her cold, indifferent expression.

He knew he was lost, willingly reduced to the Third Princess’s plaything, longing only to stay in her embrace and hoping for even a sliver of her pity.

“What are you thinking about?” A gentle, familiar voice sounded in his ear. Shen Qingtang looked up, thinking it an illusion, until he was drawn into the familiar warmth of her embrace. Only then did he snap back to reality, tears involuntarily streaming down his face.

Ji Zhaohe gently wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes with her fingertips. Shen Qingtang turned around and hugged her tightly, pressing his face against the softness of her chest.

He spoke in a tearful, halting voice, “Tang’er thought… because of Mother, Wife was angry… and didn’t want Tang’er anymore.”

He lifted his small face to meet her cool, indifferent eyes. “Wife, Tang’er will apologize on Mother’s behalf, alright? Please don’t be angry.”

“If you’re still angry, Wife can punish me however you wish. Just don’t give Tang’er the cold shoulder, alright?” His tone was soft and pleading, pitifully begging.

Ji Zhaohe felt that her little husband was increasingly shattering her perceptions. How was he becoming more delicate by the day?

What happened to his aloofness? What happened to his magnanimity?

Even though she had long since stopped being angry, Ji Zhaohe pressed further, following his words: “Then tell me, how should I punish you?”

Shen Qingtang’s eyes showed a trace of confusion and helplessness. He knew the Third Princess’s preferences, but because he believed his wife had changed, he had never considered that direction.

He wasn’t fully recovered yet and couldn’t engage in intimate activities… He bit his lip, sat up from Ji Zhaohe’s embrace, and reached out to fetch the candle by the bed.

The candle had only been lit a short while ago, so not much wax had dripped yet. The young man carefully held the candlestick, offering it to Ji Zhaohe.

Ji Zhaohe: Doesn’t understand but respects it.

She took the candlestick, unsure what to do.

Shen Qingtang, suppressing his shame and fear, let his clothes slip down bit by bit.

Ji Zhaohe: “…” Although she didn’t often read this type of literature, she now understood what was happening.

Shen Qingtang: “Wife, I won’t run away…” He closed his eyes, looking as if he were facing a great enemy.

Ji Zhaohe sighed and placed the candlestick back in its original spot. What should have been a flirtatious moment had been turned into a scene of heroic sacrifice by her little husband.

She reached out, carefully pulled his clothes back up, and pinched his cheek. “Alright, you’re still sick. You mustn’t catch a chill.”

Tears welled up even more fiercely in Shen Qingtang’s eyes. His wife was still so kind…

“Then how about…” Shen Qingtang took her hand and placed it around his neck.

Ji Zhaohe: “…” Wait, does he have masochistic tendencies? Why does it have to be like this??

Ji Zhaohe rested her palm lightly on his neck, feeling the pulse of his carotid artery. She leaned down and gently pressed her lips to his.

Her hand slowly moved to the back of his neck, forcing him closer to her. She didn’t deepen the kiss but instead gently traced his lips with her tongue.

When the kiss ended, Ji Zhaohe withdrew her hand and said helplessly, “Is this enough now?”

Shen Qingtang nodded dazedly. “Wife isn’t angry anymore?”

Even if I were angry, I’d be melted by his adorable expression. No wonder people said it was important to find a good-looking partner—even when angry, just looking at that face would make the anger fade. Ji Zhaohe pulled him closer to the inner side of the bed, quickly took off her outer robe, and got into bed. “I’ll sleep with you tonight.”

Shen Qingtang shifted further inward to make space for her, worried. “Will sleeping together spread the illness?”

Ji Zhaohe: “We’ve already kissed. Don’t worry about that.”

She had noticed that women in this world generally had strong constitutions. During this epidemic, those who couldn’t pull through were mostly men, while women recovered after drinking a few doses of medicine.

“By the way,” Ji Zhaohe suddenly remembered, “tomorrow I’m going to Baoyin Temple to pray. Do you want to come?”

Shen Qingtang snuggled closer into the crook of her arm, wishing he could press himself against her. “Yes.” He also wanted to pray for his wife.

These days, the streets had been sealed off, with guards stationed at every corner. Ordinary citizens could only go out for emergencies, which significantly reduced the infection rate. Thus, Ji Zhaohe wasn’t worried about tomorrow’s trip.

Having Shen Qingtang as cover would make it easier for her to move around. The only thing she was unsure about was what to use for bribing.

In most novels, Taoist priests were depicted as desireless and unrestrained by wealth, but the only thing she could offer was money.

Shen Qingtang breathed in the faint sandalwood scent emanating from his wife, feeling utterly content. Since contracting the illness, his wife had stopped sharing a bed with him. Before marriage, he had slept alone every night, but these past few days, nights without the Third Princess felt unbearably long. In his feverish state, between fits of coughing, he repeatedly thought of the Third Princess, reminiscing about their first meeting.

Because the Shen family was influential and his sister was a rising star in the court, his mother had never intended to marry him off to the daughter of Grand Commandant Qian or another high-ranking official. Instead, she wanted to find an ordinary family for him to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion.

Unexpectedly, Grand Commandant Qian publicly announced her intention to form a marriage alliance with the Shen family.

This undoubtedly pushed the Shen family to the edge of a cliff. They either had to marry into the Qian family, uniting powerful ministers to overshadow the royal family, or face the Emperor’s suspicion and risk having the Shen family uprooted.

From this perspective, marrying the Third Princess was an act of mercy by the Emperor, leaving a path of retreat for the Shen family. The Third Princess was the most beloved daughter of the Emperor and the Phoenix Sovereign. Though she couldn’t become the crown princess, forming a connection with her was enough to ensure the Shen family’s safety.

His mother had naturally considered this, but the Third Princess remained an unpredictable variable in everyone’s eyes, impossible to control.

Fortunately, he had bet correctly.